Thanks in large part to the blithe surf folk of Jack Johnson, the world is now safe for barefoot-sounding singer/songwriters who produce breeze-flavored songs and simple, nights-under-the-stars takes on world-music rhythms. But for this strong third record, Xavier Rudd adds an element by taking up the plight of Australia's indigenous people, in what he clearly imagines to be his "Graceland." In fact, vocally, Rudd owes a debt to Paul Simon to a degree that veers from subtle to something that could probably result in an intellectual-property lawsuit, but such an earthy style is a perfect fit for the sweet, melancholic sounds of tracks like "Better People." Rudd seems at his strongest when at his simplest: Songs like "Land Rights" and "Whirlpool" work his world-music influences into a cohesive and original-sounding whole without overdoing it. —Jeff Vrabel